Gallaudet Partners with Office of Personnel Management to Expand Career Opportunities for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Federal Employees

Gallaudet University has established a collaborative agreement with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to promote educational skill development and career advancement opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing Federal employees enrolled in the university's Masters of Public Administration (MPA) program.

The MPA program, established in 2012, is designed for deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing professionals who work in local, state, or Federal government agencies, non-profit human service organizations, and non-profit professional associations. The Gallaudet-OPM partnership supports deaf and hard of hearing Federal employees' career advancement opportunities by providing valuable education and skills in a bilingual and fully accessible learning environment.

"The unique experiences, education and training provided through Gallaudet's MPA program are second to none," said Gallaudet University President T. Alan Hurwitz. "The Federal government's leadership on employment of people with disabilities makes them a perfect partner for this initiative. This partnership will be a model to the nation and to employers throughout the country. These kinds of collaborations will move the needle on unemployment and underemployment for deaf and hard of hearing individuals."

In 2010, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13548 (Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities) which set a goal of hiring 100,000 individuals with disabilities into Federal service over five years. Along with fostering advancement opportunities, this collaboration will support deaf and hard of hearing students in accessing Federal career and internship opportunities.

"Our latest report on the employment of people with disabilities has some very exciting news," said OPM Director Katherine Archuleta. "At no time in the past 32 years has the Federal government hired people with disabilities at a higher rate than in fiscal year 2012. And there are more deaf and hard of hearing employees in the Federal government now than at any time in the past 19 years. Our agreement with Gallaudet will help the Federal government build on these successes."

"Gallaudet's MPA program prepares students to lead with a sense of direction, to focus on results, to develop others capability to perform, and to serve with integrity," said Dr. Francis Duffy, MPA program director.

Gallaudet's MPA program is a 40-credit graduate degree program administered by the Department of Government and Public Affairs. It is intended for professionals with at least one year of paid employment in a public sector or non-profit organization who can communicate through ASL or who are willing to learn ASL prior to graduation. For more information or to apply click here.

About Gallaudet University Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals through American Sign Language and English. Gallaudet maintains a proud tradition of research and scholarly activity and prepares its graduates for career opportunities in a highly competitive, technological, and rapidly changing world.

About OPM's HR Solutions Center for Leadership DevelopmentAs part of its mission, OPM provides technical assistance to Federal agencies to meet their most critical human capital challenges. OPM's HR Solutions is the division dedicated to providing exceptional human resources products and services to meet the dynamic human capital and training needs of the Federal government. Center for Leadership Development (CLD) is dedicated to developing leaders to transform government. CLD offers educational leadership programs, certificate programs, tailored solutions, and technology systems built on the competencies needed for Federal employees at every stage of their careers. Programs are delivered through e-Learning technology systems by USALearning, in classroom settings, and at three residential centers - the Federal Executive Institute (FEI) in Charlottesville, VA, the Eastern Management Development Center (EMDC) in Washington, DC, and the Western Management Development Center (WMDC) in Denver, CO - as well as at Federal agencies and locations across the United States.